1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in plating apparatus, and more particularly pertains to new and improved zone plating apparatus wherein precious metals such as gold, silver or palladium are plated on electrical contact areas on electrical components.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Those concerned with the development of plating apparatus for plating precious metals such as gold and silver or palladium onto electrical components have long recognized the need for efficiency in the application of the precious metal to the workpiece, both in terms of control over the defined area that is plated and the thickness of the plating material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,019 for a continuous contact plater method issued Dec. 20, 1977 describes a system which is directed towards this end. However, the system falls short in several respects. It fails to accurately control the thickness of the precious metal being deposited on the selected area of the electrical components. It fails to plate an accurately defined area. It can only plate one zone on a component at a time. It is designed to plate curved surfaces. The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,019 and all the prior art in this field. Specifically, the present invention can plate multiple zones, at one time, including front and back. It is also capable of plating flat or curved surfaces on a component.